Sad story - respected sports writer dies

In my 60-hour days, you did the extra time so as not to let your co-workers down, not to please management, who didn't care fuckall because most of them were out the door at 5 p.m. It's been just over 12 years since my 35+-year career ended, on my terms, and I haven't missed one day of it.

Mr. Batterson obviously loved his job, good on him, did it well and was respected in his community. Maybe he figured he loved what he was doing more than the things he missed out on. His life, his choice, who am I to judge? Lee Enterprises probably gave him a pin or something along the way.

PS: I love his wardrobe. I dressed the same way almost my entire career.

 

We were told there would be no math.

 

Not everyone wants a spouse. Tons of people don't want kids. And some people really like their job to the point that it's a passion more than a job.

That doesn't describe everyone, nor does it have to describe everyone. Life's a weird journey that we all try to navigate the best we can. People should feel free to follow whatever path gives them fulfillment.

 

Wow, this one hits home. Without totally outing myself, I worked as a stringer for the QCT for a few years in the early 2000s and then worked for that paper’s “across the river” competition for four years after that.

I didn’t know Steve well but he would pitch in on Friday nights if needed even though by then he was one of the authoritative reporters covering Hawkeye sports.

A nice guy, very low key and obviously a very talented and hard-working journalist. Probably could have moved on to a bigger stage in the business but he was a Washington, Iowa, native who loved the job he had and did it very well.

RIP, Steve. Here’s to hanging out at Dino’s Bar and Grill …

 

Respect

 

I won't judge the guy's choices; nothing I've seen says he wasn't living the life he wanted to live.

What I can say is that paper will struggle to replace that one person with three people, much less two. Selling out for readers in that market? There's just not a lot of people who'd do it for even 45 hours, much less 80.

Managers rarely pull bulldogs like that off the roast, though; they know, almost instinctively, no one will fill that gap these days.

 

Fredrick could handle it. At least up to 70 hours.
Only pays for 40, though. Could be an issue there.

 

It's the suits, man.

The suits always get the last word.

 

Meant 60-hour per week days, that's a copy-editing fail.

 

I liked it.

 

I think a good percentage of those people would be single and maniacally dedicated to something else if it weren’t a newspaper beat. And it might be even less healthy.

Addiction will find a muse. Quitting a job won’t fix that. That takes a conscious reprogramming.

 

Batty and I often crossed paths on the Big Ten beat. Hell of a good guy. So many will miss him.